The New Faces of New Jersey

They come from all corners of the globe, all in pursuit of the American Dream.

| February 16, 2018

Photos by Axel Dupeux

The numbers are impressive. As of 2015, 2 million New Jersey residents were foreign-born, according to the American Immigration Council. That’s 22.1 percent of our population. Only two states, New York and California, have a higher proportion of immigrants.

The contributions of these immigrants is equally impressive. They are just as likely to have college degrees as native-born New Jerseyans. And they are ambitious. The New American Economy report for 2014 says that 32 percent of all New Jersey entrepreneurs are immigrants. Their businesses employed more than 270,000 workers and generated $3.2 billion in income in 2014. That year, immigrant-led households in New Jersey earned a total of $74.2 billion, and paid more than 25 percent of all state and local taxes.

But those are just numbers. In this package, we shoot past the data and peer into the souls of 12 New Jersey immigrant families. We learn about their hopes and dreams; their struggles and triumphs; their sadness and joy; and the pride they take in contributing to the American way of life.

These are the New Faces of New Jersey. We hope you’ll take the time to read their stories. You’ll be touched—and perhaps a bit surprised at how similar their stories are to your own.